Automatic railway-crossing signal



June '17 1924.

1,498,349 M. BUTTERFIELD AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed March 31. 1923 a Sheets-Sheet l Maifi'm/pwaz 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 17 924- M. A. BUTTERFIELD AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed March 31, 1923 Patented June 17, 1924.

UNITED STATES MELVIN A. BUTTERFIELD, F ENDEAVOR, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Applicationjfiled March 31, 1923.. Serial No. 629,158.

To aZZ wit-0721 it may concern:

Be it known that MELvIN A; BUTTERFIELD,

a citizen of the United States of America,

. residing at Endeavor, in the county of Marquette and State of Wisconsin, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Crossing; Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railroad crossing signals or highway signal and its principle is to provide a mechanism adapted to operate a signal upon approach of a train and to render the signal in-operative after the passing of the train.

My invention further provides a railroad or highway signal embodying train actuated trips one of which being actuated upon approach of the train to close an electric circuit to the signal and the other trips being adapted to be actuated as the last car of the I train crosses the crossing to break the circuit and render the signalin-operative.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a railroad crossing signal which embodies a novelcircuit closer to be operated by the train and which can be readily arranged in operative position at any convenient point along the railway tracks These and like objects will be better understood as the description of my invention follows: and as is specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification;

Figure 1 is a plan view of the signal associated with the railroad mechanism;

Figure 2 is a vertical section view of the circuit controlling mechanism;

Figure 3 is a. horizontally sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section view taken on line 4l4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a enlarged longitudinally section view of the circuit closing trip;

Figure 6 is a.- similar view of the circuit breaking trip;

Figure 7 isa detailed view showing one of the trips of the railroad tracks;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 9 is a detailed view of one of the trips;

Figure 10 is a similar view of a second trip;

Figure 11 is an elevation from line 1111 Figure 1.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric wiring.

Referring in detail to the drawings the numeral 5 denotes a railway crossing and arranged at the crossing are posts orstandards 6 upon which electric lamps 7 or other signal elements are mounted.

A casing 8 mounted on a tubular standard 9 is arranged in proximity to the posts 6 a storage battery or other source of electrical energy 10 is arranged in the casing 8 and is electrically connected with the bulbs 7. A contact or circuit closing arm 11is pivoted to one wall of the casing 8 and is normally held in an inoperative position by a contracted spring 12. Depending from the partition 13 in the housing 8 is a bifurcated standard 14 in which the free end of the contact arm is movable, the latter being adapted to contact with a stationary contact 16 supported in the housing 8 and arranged in the bulb circuit. In order to lock the arm 16 in circuit closing position a. latch is pivoted to the partition 13 to swing at right angles to the arm 11 and is provided with a notch 19 for the reception of the arm 11. A coil spring 19 is attached to the latch 18 and .to one wall of the housing and normally holds the latch in engagement with the arm 11. Journaled in the base of the standard 9 is a pair of pulleys 20 over which cables 21 and 22 pass the former passing over pulleys: 23 and 2 1 of the housing 8 and is connected with the latch 18 while the cable 22 is connected with the arm 11. A casing 25 is arranged along the tracks 5 in advance of the post 6 and longitudinally movable in the casing 25 is a slidable slotted plate 26 normally urged in one direction by coil spring 27 the forward end of slotted plate 26 being attached to cable 22. Pivoted in casing 25 to swing about a horizontal axis is a trip 28 having a curved arm 29 engaged in a slot 30 in the bolt 26. A coil spring 31 having one end attached to the housing 26 and its opposite end attached to the trip 28 to normally urge the trip forwardly, and as shown in Figure 5 the trip projects above the casing 25 and is movable in a slot 32 therein. Y

A casing 33 similar to casing 25 is arranged along the tracks 5 rearwardly the post 9. Pivoted in the casing 33 is a trip 34:

to which a coil spring 35 is attached. A pulley 36 is arranged within casing 33 and engaged with this pulley is the cable Ql'having its end attached to the trip 34:. In the operation of the signal the train in approaching the crossing engages the trip 28,

rocking he same forwardly and moving the slotted plate 26 rearwardly and then by moving the circuit closing arm downwardly to complete the circuit to the bulbs thus indicating that a train is approaching.

At this time the latch 18 is engaged with the arm 11 and holdthe same down. The train continuing forward strikes the trip 34 as the last car thereof crosses the crossing and rocks the same forwardly and swings the latch 17 away from the arm 11 to permit'the latter to return to normal position to break the circuit.

7 connected with the cable 22.

In Figures 8 to 10 a modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated. This structure embodies actuating trips both of which are identical and a description of one will apply to both. The trip structure comprises a caslng 35 having a slot in the top face thereof through which projects the upper end of a pivoted trip arm 86 and connected with said trip arm 36 and extending to opposite sides thereof are the coil springs 37,

the outer ends of the latter being connected respectively with the inner faces of the end walls of said casing 35. As shown in Figures 9 and 10 the upper end of the trip 36 is The cable extends into the casing 35 of the other trip and passes around a pulley and thence connected with the other end of the trip 36. With this type of trip it will be seen that they will be returned to normal position by not wish to limit myself to the exact details l of construction shown, nor to the combination. and arrangement of parts.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is Q I 1. The combination with electric signal,

including source of electrical energy and a circuit closer, of a casing arranged forwardly of the signal, a pivoted actuating trip mounted therein, a spring pressedslotted plate in the casing and connected with the trip, and a cable connected with the slotted plate and circuit closer a second trip ar ranged rearwardly of the first trip, cable connected with the latter and a latch inthe path of the circuit closer to hold the samejin'f disengaged from the circuit closer upon actuation of the last mentioned trip. p

2. In a signaling device of the class described, a casing,a circuit closing arm pivoted on a horizontal axis within said casing" and movable vertically therewithin, a guide arm therefor, spring means engaged with the outer end of said pivoted arm and adapted to retain the latter in raised position, a flexible connection engaged with said pivoted arm for lowering thesame against the action of said spring, a latch'pivoted on a horizontal axis to the top of said casing and adapted to swing in a plane at right" angles to the plane of theaforesaid pivoted operative position and "connected with the last mentioned cable'whereby the latch isarm and in one position engage' and retain said last mentioned arm in lowered position, spr ng means engaged VWltll said latch and adapted to retain the same in its effective engaging position, a second flexible connection engaged with the outer end of said latch to actuate the latter against the tension of said last mentionedspring, and means connected with said'flexible connections for operating the same. i V V r In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MELVIN A. BUTTERFIELD. Y 

